When you need this

Saving and investing come up in conversation with friends, family and coworkers: someone's saving for a house, someone's nervous about the stock market, someone's just started a retirement plan at work. This lesson gives you the words to follow and join those conversations. It isn't advice about what to do with your money; that's a decision for you and, if you want one, a qualified professional.

Most people keep this talk general. They say "I've started investing" or "I'm saving for retirement", not how much they have. Asking someone directly how much they earn or own is usually too personal, even between friends.

Phrases

collect money over time for a goal

money kept for unexpected costs

put money into something hoping it grows

small parts of a company that people buy and sell

where shares are bought and sold

money a bank pays you for saving, or you pay for borrowing

savings for when you stop working

over many years, not weeks

likely to lose money as well as make it

rise or fall in value

a professional who gives money advice

a relaxed way to say you're a beginner

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.